Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Stavros Niarchos Founcation Cultural Center is a public space, where everyone has free access and can participate in a multitude of cultural, educational, athletic, environmental and recreational activities and events. It includes the Greek National Opera, the National Library of Greece as well as the Stavros Niarchos Park, one of the largest green areas in Athens, covering 21 hectares.

Designed by architectural firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the SNFCC was created thanks to an exclusive grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which delivered it to the Greek State upon completion. The SNFCC has received numerous architectural awards including the 2018 Award for International Excellence by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The SNFCC is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s largest single grant, which covered exclusively the cost for its design, construction, and outfitting. Furthermore, the SNF supported the Greek National Opera and the National Library of Greece with a €5m grant to each in order to support the organizations’ transition to the SNFCC. After SNFCC’s delivery to the Greek State, SNF continued to support it, with €5 million for its operational costs and €5 million for the implementation of free to all events and activities per annum for the first 5 years of its operation.

The Stavros Niarchos Park covers 21 hectares and includes over 1,400 trees and 300,000 shrubs. It is a real-time sustainability laboratory, as well a space hosting sports, cultural events and recreational activities. The park offers a new alternative perspective of urban green spaces and their use. It invites the public to explore its different areas: to do some gardening at the Vegetable Garden, to experiment at the Sound Garden, to exercise at the Running Track, the Outdoor Gym and the Outdoor Games Area as well as the seawater Canal, to enjoy concerts at the Great Lawn, to relax at the Labyrinth and to play at the Playgrounds. The SNFCC is a sustainability paradigm on three different levels: design & construction, operation and environmental footprint on the local ecosystem.

The design and the construction of the SNFCC including the Stavros Niarchos Park contributed in the reshaping of the Kallithea neighborhood of Athens and the waterfront, giving life to a space that for years remained abandoned.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center is a public space open to all. The high-quality free events and activities organized, realized and hosted by the SNFCC, as well as the staff and collaborators’ professionalism, made the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center a reference point in the greater Athens area, thus redefining the concept of public space.

SNFCC S.A. is a public-benefit nonprofit organization responsible for the operation, maintenance and management of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and the Stavros Niarchos Park while developing and organizing its own series of cultural, educational, environmental and sports activities. In 2017-18, the SNFCC organized more than 7.000 free events and activities, while it welcomed over 8.3m visits. SNFCC S.A. is supervised by the Greek Ministry of Finance.

Moreover, the new building for the National Library of Greece (NLG) modernized an institution founded in 1832, allowing it to strengthen its research role while expanding, at the same time, its focus from an exclusive research facility to an all-inclusive public resource. In its new and enlarged role, the NLG supports patrons of all ages and education - from academic researchers to children and young adults destined to become the next generation of users.

Within its new premises, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, the entrance to the National Library of Greece leads into a large open lobby that provides an immediate visual orientation to all the organization’s functions. The NLG Public Library Section, bolstered by a significant book collection and other media, includes separate areas for adults, teenagers, and children and offers a wide range of educational and cultural programs. The natural light available throughout the NLG helps create an open hospitable environment for individual and collaborative learning. Events and seminars hosted for both children and adults, and classes incorporate natural learning opportunities originating from collaborative programs at the Stavros Niarchos Park as well.

Become an SNFCC Member and enjoy the specially designed Members events, backstage experiences, benefits and discounts!Find out more herehttps://me.snfcc.org/enThe SNFCC Membership Program is implemented with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and developed in collaboration with the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera.